New lighter shaft

[sdendo]

Hey everyone, had a couple questions/thoughts about my iron shafts and was looking for some input from the brain trust.

Back story-- was using the modus 105 stiff with my irons, and then subsequently got fit into a KBS 90 shaft and kept the same iron heads (mizuno 243), so essentially just changing the shaft to graphite and a little lighter.  I have trouble with getting the ball high sometimes so the fitter thought it would be good to switch me into the PGI.  FWIW the irons themselves I love.

So now after a few months of trying to get used to the pgi 90 in my garage sim and on the course I feel myself losing the club at the top of my backswing which I believe is leading to much more inconsistent striking.  I know its only 15 grams, or maybe the shaft isn't timing right, but is this something I can blame on the shaft?  I feel like i was much more consistent as far as strike location before with the modus.  The good news is, though, when I do strike it well the ball flies higher so that part was right.  
But could a small 15 gram weight change mess this up for me?  

I know that this could be a swing issue as well bc it is such a small amount of weight difference but fwiw I do take a weekly lesson with a pro and scores are trending in the right direction, just want to make sure I'm not handicapping myself with the wrong equipment.

 

Thanks! 

[Lord Helmet]

I believe it can make a difference.  It does with me.  The space between your ears is also a factor IMHO.  

[Pepperturbo]

Maybe all you need it to have your clubs properly swing weighted.  Most people new to golf are not aware of the importance of swing weighting. 

 

My clubs are Driver - D3.5, 3wd - D3, 2i - D3, 3i-9i - D2, PW - D3, Gap - D5 and LW - D6.

[sdendo]

yes I think the space between my head is actually a huge factor lol....swing weighting, they are all swingweighted to d2.5 based on what the club builder said, which is what the older ones were built to (they weighed them before the fitting) I should have them double checked I think 

[Smokey227]

I am currently living through exactly what you are describing. 15 gram drop in shaft weight can be quite dramatic if the 107 gram range was on the lower end of what shaft weight is a good fit for you, which it is for me. The weight drop doesnt bother me nearly as much in the longer irons as it does in the shorter irons. 

 

If you want to see if it is simply a weight issue take 15 grams of lead tape and place it a few inches below the grip on the shaft. If that instantly fixes the issue you know its simply a weight problem. If not it could be the profile or the difference in stiffness of the shaft. I havent hit the pgi but for me the tgi in 90 feels quite a bit stiffer than the modus 105. 

 

 

[sdendo]

ok great, i will try the lead tape thing ASAP.  I checked the specs on the PGI vs the modus 105 s, and it looks like the torque on the PGI is 1.0 higher, I'm not sure what the means but figured it might be good information lol.  

But to describe it the best, is basically i feel like i lose the club in the backswing, something that never happened before...its so weird. 

also, my swing speed is not crazy insane but with a driver its about 103-107, 7iron around 80-83 (i think) depending on the day, not sure if that has anything to do with it.  

the other thing here to is that I don't really want to go back to the fitter to solve the issue because i know it'll end up being a new shaft, new build, puring, all that BS over again and i'd like to not spend $700 lol.  

 

Edited June 2 by sdendo

[Pepperturbo]

2 hours ago, sdendo said:

yes I think the space between my head is actually a huge factor lol....swing weighting, they are all swingweighted to d2.5 based on what the club builder said, which is what the older ones were built to (they weighed them before the fitting) I should have them double checked I think 

Going from a steel profile to a graphite profile feels different. 

 

I am not a builder, just a player.  IMO Proper swing weight has everything to do with head weight, shaft weight and grip setup.  One shaft might be mid-bend softer, while the other more mid-high bend with stiffer tip.  In that case, swing weighting might be the same but won't feel the same if any one of those factors is different, such as a drop in shaft weight or grip weight change.  Also, how the clubs were built may affect feel too.  

 

My T100 5i-9i had Pro 110g Tour spec stiff, mid-high bend composite at D2, mid-launch, low spin, 7i carry was 148.  Recently had those shafts pulled and replaced with high-bend 110g PX Red 6.0 stiff steel shafts with slightly softer tips, mid-launch, mid-spin, I carried 7i 155 on a 165yd Par 3 my last round.  All factors, shaft weight, grip, wraps, and head weight, including swing weight are the same, yet these shafts feel entirely different at D2.  I feel the whole club throughout my swing; that wasn't the case with graphite.

 

In most graphite shafts, torque is typically in the 2.0-3.5 range, vs steel shafts 1.5-1.9 range.  I've been told torque needs to be higher because we swing the shafts faster.  I am no longer convinced that has merit if graphite and steel shafts are equal in weight.  What I do know, my ball behaves slightly different using graphite vs steel.

Edited June 2 by Pepperturbo

[sdendo]

2 minutes ago, Pepperturbo said:

Going from steel profile to graphite profile feels different. 

 

I am not a builder, just a player.  IMO Proper swing weight has everything to do with head weight, shaft weight and grip setup.  One shaft might be mid-bend softer, while the other more mid-high bend with stiffer tip.  In that case, swing weighting might be the same but won't feel the same if any one of those factors is different, such as a drop in shaft weight or grip weight change.  Also, how the clubs were built may affect feel too.  

 

My T100 5i-9i had Pro 110g Tour spec stiff, mid-high bend composite at D2, mid-launch, low spin, 7i carry was 148.  Recently had those shafts pulled and replaced with high-bend 110g PX Red 6.0 stiff steel shafts with slightly softer tips, mid-launch, mid-spin, I carried 7i 155 on a 165yd Par 3 my last round.  All factors, shaft weight, grip, wraps, and head weight, including swing weight are the same, yet these shafts feel entirely different at D2.  I feel the whole club throughout my swing; that wasn't the case with graphite.

 

oh wow...thanks for the info! 

[copegolfer]

I switched from KBS Tour 130X to C-Taper Lite X at 115 grams. 

Worst decision I ever made. Like you I couldn't feel the club during my swing and my iron play has suffered tremendously. 

 

I have another set of KBS Tour 130 on order and can't wait. 

 

CP

[miles2go]

I went from NS Pro 1050’s to 65 gram graphite after serious back surgery.  Lost swing speed but the graphites just feel too light.  Been almost a year and still can’t get used to it.  Might experiment with a bunch of lead tape to increase swing weight before giving up and going back to the set with NSPros.  Luckily didn’t get rid of them. 

[sdendo]

Tried the lead tape, didn't really seem to make a difference.  I think ultimately it's a weight/shaft profile thing.  Looks like I'll have to either try to work on the swing to correct on my own/with my coach or test out a new shaft.

 

Thanks for the help everyone!